Bright and relatively early this morning: Despite having enjoyed an exceedingly pleasant dinner with 'SoD' and his lovely lady at a local Italian restaurant. Amongst other things, 'SoD' gave me a Regimental tie - made of silk! Ultra smart and that forced me to smarten up my appearance last night from my usual 'scruffy, old geezer' look, a mode which, to my surprise, seems not to have taken off in the fashion world!
Let's hear it - again - for the Aussies: Excellent news from 'down under there' where the Lefty-loons have been treated more or less like any visiting English cricket team - bowled out with a pathetic score! Will the (non)Democratic Party in America face the same outcome 'over there' next year? I suspect they will, not least because there is a growing 'shit-storm' building up over their shennanigans prior to the last Presidential election. Take cover!
Sort of good but also sort of sad: Yesterday I gave myself a break from the machinations of 'our Tom' Cromwell and 'our King 'Arry' and I began to read a few pages from Antony Beevor's latest book, "Arnhem". Already, I just know it is going to be excellent history but, alas, also 'yuuuuuugely' depressing! In many ways, Montgomery was an excellent fighting General but why did the bombastic, little prat have to emulate the equally obtuse Gen. Patten and thereby produce even greater military cock-ups?
As usual, Peter Hitchens tells it the way it really is: There has been much 'huffin' 'n' puffin'' from all quarters on the ludicrous state of affairs in which 70-year old veterans are being prosecuted 40+ years after the events whilst their murderous IRA opponents were given 'carte blanche' protection from the law. Hitchens sums it up thus:
I shall keep saying this until it sinks in. The United Kingdom surrendered to the Provisional IRA, under heavy American pressure, in 1998, and the persecution of British soldiers was part of the terms of that surrender. The Tory Party supported the nauseatingly named ‘Good Friday Agreement’ at the time and still defends it.
Hurrah, Britain finished bottom! Thank God for that, Britain finished last in the Eurovision song contest! I don't think I have ever heard even a semi-decent song from that ghastly chorus of no-talent morons so perhaps the 'galumps' who keep entering us will realise that even if Cole Porter wrote our songs and Frank Sinatra sang them, the Euros will never vote for us because they detest us! When the realisation occurs, please tell Mrs. May the same attitude prevails on our (non)Brexit talks!
Dominic Cavendish needs to 'man up'! Cavendish is the theatre critic of The Telegraph and I have just read his mealy-mouthed, pathetic critique of the feminised Henry IV at The Globe Theatre, about which I 'grumped' a few days ago. This photo sums it up:
Sarah Amankwah in a scene from Henry IV, Part II Credit: Tristram Kenton
Cavendish, with his 'oh so metropolitan sensibilities' describes Ms. Amankwah as "a woman of colour". No she's not, Dominic, darling, she's black! We're all 'coloured' in different pigments so just spell it out, you know, as in "Tell truth and shame the devil".
And another two books! These delivered by 'SoD', so thanks be to him! One is serious and the other is hilarious. The serious one is The Europe Illusion: Britain, France, Germany and the Long History of European Integration by Stuart Sweeney. It commences from 1648 so it looks like a long read - which is ecellent. The other, gifted to me at my own request, is seriously serious history! I continually quote one of its key phrases, "A Good Thing" and "A Bad Thing" and, of course, that comes from "1066 and All That" by the renowned historians - no, honestly! - W.G.Sellar and R.J.Yeatman. It must be over 60 years since I last read it and at the time it left my crying with laughter. So thanks, 'SoD', you're a diamond! An example:
Chapter XLIII
India
It was in the 18th century that Indian history started. Indian History is a great number of wars in which the English fought against the Waratah Confederacy and various kinds of potentates called Sahibs, Wallahs, Jahs, Rajahs, Hurrahjas, Mahhurrahjas, Jhams and Jhellies. Most memorable amongst these were the terrible Napoo Sahib, the Maharrata of Pshaw, the Chandra Gaff and the Taj Mahal.
Talk about laugh, I expect you nearly did! Anyway, that's me finished for today - I have some serious reading to do!
No more rumbles
The "scruffy old geezer look" is all the rage around here. So much so that I'm out the door in a few minutes for a few hours of bass fishing before the sun knows I'm there! Fashion is no concern.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 10:23
About the surprise in Oz, this article has a bit of the post Trump mindset:
https://www.businessinsider.com/australian-election-results-prime-minister-morrisons-shock-victory-results-2019-5
Power is to be used.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 10:25
As the Aussies begin to right themselves, another Anglosphere country continues to lose its mind.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/canadian-government-imposes-social-justice-on-all-universities/
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 10:34
I find it incredible that the Oz voters would tell the pollsters porkies.
Posted by: Timbo | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 13:10
Ms. Awankah is sporting interesting headgear. Is she in the Parachute Regiment?
Posted by: Whyaxye | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 13:20
Glad you and SoD had a good time, but I hate to see you not arguing. This should turn him into a Brexit supporter for sure:
"The UK renewable energy capacity has surpassed fossil fuels for the first time, which is being described as a ‘major milestone’ for the industry, despite fears that a no-deal Brexit could de-stabilise the power sector."
https://www.power-technology.com/news/uk-renewable-energy-brexit/
Brexit de-stabilization will have you all breathing coal smoke again in no time and really show those stupid, dishonest greenie scientists!
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 14:55
'W', yes, I took a hard look at her headgear but I think not!
Bob, speaking for myself but also probably for several zillions of others, I think we can take a bit of "Brexit de-stabilization". We'll just put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 19 May 2019 at 18:39
Timbo telling pollsters porkies is a long standing Oz tradition.
The post event scurrying around by pollsters trying to explain how and why they got it wrong is hilarious - and it is going on right now down here,
Even better than that one of the local bookmakers paid out an even million last Thursday on the basis that Labor [the bastards can't even spell] was a shoe in so why wait to pay out and the punters got their money. Then came Saturday and the real result. Said bookies may find it hard to find the punters and I'm not all that sure that even if they did they could demand their money back. Adds more to that old saying about a fool and his money.
Life is returning to normal in the great south land - well it is if you disregard the wailing and whining of lefties.
Posted by: AussieD | Monday, 20 May 2019 at 03:12
AussieD,
Hell hath no Fury greater than a Lefty who loses in a surprise:
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/05/australian-election-voters-reject-leftist-ideas/
Same attitudes expressed about Trump and Brexit. Same elitist arrogance, same condescending comments about those "lesser people".
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 20 May 2019 at 11:58